A fair hearing for John G Roberts
There's going to be a lot of writing on John G Roberts, American President George W Bush's nominee for the United States Supreme Court. He'll be lauded by the right and demolished by the left - both sides will come out in what promises to be a rather nasty battle to the death. And then there's the centrists, like myself.
Now, I will probably disagree with Mr Roberts on most issues - and so will a great many Democrats in the American Senate. But that's not a good enough reason to hold up his nomination and make this contest nastier than it needs to be. The American Supreme Court should be balanced - we need both liberal and conservative voices sitting on its benches.
I hope that both American Republicans and Democrats recognize this, and give Mr Roberts what he deserves - a fair hearing. He's an accomplished member of the legal profession, and agree with him or not, he's certainly qualified. So long as he does not seek to legislate from the bench, he should be confirmed as soon as possible. America needs smart, qualified judges on their highest court - but they don't need aggresive, activist judges who seek to do the job of the President and Congress.
Related Reading
Scrutinizing John Roberts (New York Times)
